


Every Wish Comes True

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: A little, Christmas, Elf Culture & Customs, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Magic, Misunderstandings, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27942173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: "If you and Rafael start dating before then you’ll still be Second Level elves, so the relationship clause won’t be a problem.”Sonny’s eyebrows went up to his hairline. “What makes you think that I could ask him out now, after two years of barely talking to him?”“Maybe this is the push you needed,” Nick laughed. “It’s almost Christmas, Sonny. Get yourself your own Christmas miracle!”
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47
Collections: Barisi Christmas Celebration





	Every Wish Comes True

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what this is. It started off with me wanting to joke around with "Saint Nick" and... this happened. I hope you like it either way!
> 
> Oh and the title is from the song Christmas Tree Farm by my lovely Taylor Swift! <3 Give it a listen, it is precious!

Sonny took a deep breath as he stood in front of the bright red door that read “ _ Head Elf _ ” in gold, right above the “ _ Santa’s 16th Toy Division _ ” plaque. He pulled his hat off before he knocked, and smiled his most welcoming smile when he heard Nick’s voice telling him to come in.

“Hey, Saint Nick,” he joked, trying to shake off the jitters. “You called for me?”

“Yes, Elf Sonny, please take a seat,” Nick said, barely looking up from the papers in front of him. 

“Is everything okay?”

Nick looked up then. “Yes, of course. Sorry, you know how busy it gets around this time of year,” he pushed the papers aside. “I wanted to let you know first hand that there’s an opening for Sergeant Elf of the division, and Lieutenant Elf Benson and I would like you to take that spot.”

Sonny jumped in his seat. “What? What about Mike? He’s our Sergeant!”

“Sergeant Elf Dodds is moving to another division next week,” he said softly. 

“Oh. That means— Oh,” Sonny sagged on the chair. 

Mike had told him how he felt about Nick a long time ago, and he’d seen the looks between the two men. There was palpable longing and yearning whenever they were in the same room, trying to keep away from each other but hurting for it. 

All because of the dreaded relationship clause in their contracts. Elves weren’t allowed to date if they were in different ranks in the same division, so Nick as the Head Elf couldn’t actually date anyone. Mike leaving meant they could finally be together.

“Nick, that’s great”, Sonny said, his smile broadening. “I’m happy for you both.” 

“Thank you,” Nick ducked his head, and Sonny had never seen look so vulnerable before. “And it’s good news for you, too, uh?”

Sonny looked down at his lap, biting into his bottom lip. “Are you sure, though? I mean-- I only just got here, there are others more experienced than me.”

“That’s true, but your contributions have been unmeasurable,” Nick said. “You’re very good at knowing what will work best for the children, you’re attentive to details, you get along with everybody. I think you’re a good fit for the position.”

“I mean, but from Second Level Elf to Sergeant, that’s a big jump,” he chuckled humorlessly. “And so fast! I won’t have any time to prepare.”

Nick frowned, eyes narrowing. “Why do you sound like you don’t want this promotion?” 

Sonny sighed, long and heavy. “For the same reason Mike is moving to another division.”

“The relationship clause? Who—,” his frown deepened before his face cleared. “Rafael. You haven’t worked it out, then?”

“No. Don’t have the guts,” Sonny mumbled, looking away. “Another reason why you shouldn’t give me the position.” 

Nick leaned over his desk, shaking his head at Sonny. “Sonny. If I give this spot to anyone else, which I would hate, I don’t think there’ll be another position for you for a very long time,” he said. “Are you sure you want to pass that up for the chance that maybe someday you’ll have the courage to tell Rafael how you feel?”

Sonny dropped his head in his hands, groaning. “No. I’m not sure.”

“Tell you what. Mike’s only moving next week, right?,” Nick said, standing up and rounding the desk to sit on the chair beside Sonny. “Which means that if you and Rafael start dating  _ before  _ then you’ll still be Second Level elves, so the relationship clause won’t be a problem.” 

Sonny’s eyebrows went up to his hairline. “What makes you think that I could ask him out  _ now _ , after two years of barely talking to him?”

“Maybe this is the push you needed,” Nick laughed. “It’s almost Christmas, Sonny. Get yourself your own Christmas miracle!”

Sonny winced. “Does anyone know about this?”

“Mike knows we’re gonna ask someone to fill the position,” Nick said, crossing his arms. “But Olivia and I are only going to make an announcement once you’ve accepted. Or refused, as the case may be.”

“I appreciate you giving me some time, Nick,” he stood up. “I’ll have my answer by the end of the week.” 

Sonny was about to leave, but Nick stopped him with a hand. 

“Sonny,” he started with a small sigh. “Regardless of the promotion, don’t you think you’ve waited long enough?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?” 

“Then you’ll know,” Nick shrugged, then patted him on the shoulder. “Then you can start moving on.” 

Sonny nodded, threw Nick a forced smile and left. 

He slumped against the wall right outside Nick’s office and let out a long, stuttered breath. There was no  _ moving on _ from Rafael, he knew that much. He’d have to ask to be transferred, restart somewhere else. 

He could either tell Rafael the truth, have his feelings reciprocated and get a promotion, or he’d get rejected again, move away and hope his broken heart wouldn’t kill him.

Sonny pushed off the wall and hoped for a Christmas miracle.

* * *

Sonny felt it the first time they met, a spark that bloomed in his chest and ran down to the tip of his fingers. It felt like a crackle of magic, a jolt of the most pure energy he’d ever encountered in his elf years. 

He’d heard of elf bonds before, but he had no idea that it’d feel as all-consuming as it did. He had no idea it’d feel like his happiness only existed because of Rafael. 

It had scared him at first, a shock to his system. It might have shown on his face, because Rafael had frowned, the hand he’d extended to Sonny dropped, and he left with a nod.

Sonny had stood there for a minute before he kicked back into gear, and ran after Rafael, only to find he’d locked himself in his own office. 

That locked door represented the two years they’d known each other, where Sonny had figuratively stood in front of it but couldn’t get to the other side no matter what. Rafael kept him out, away, and Sonny felt like an idiot. 

Rafael had just transferred from another division then, and Sonny was supposed to show him the ropes, but the way he’d frozen had sent the wrong message, and the next day Sonny spotted Olivia going through the toy factory with Rafael and helping him do a trial run.

He felt like a failure, ashamed and embarrassed, so he asked to switch a couple shifts with the letter department and kept to himself. He kept away, until the burn of rejection stopped hurting so much. 

As he walked into the factory now he spotted Rafael across the room, running over his inventory.  _ Checking it twice _ , Nick always joked, before sending it off to product testing and packing. 

Sonny went to his own workstation and tried to focus on the current pile of toys he’d yet to finish. He took one of the headless teddy bears and quickly sewed the head in place before expertly gluing on its googly eyes and tying a sparkly bow around its neck. For a special touch, Sonny drew a glitter heart on the tiny tip of the bear’s nose, frowning when he messed up the first one only to wave a hand and start over.

He moved in autopilot for a while, sewing and building bear after bear until he managed to fill another box. Sonny put the lid on and grabbed a second one, this time making light brown bears instead of the white ones he’d been working on. He added an extra furry touch to its belly, foregoing the bows. 

The elf drew so many little hearts he got glitter up to his elbows, but he didn’t mind. He was much more preoccupied with the weight of the decision he had to make sitting on his shoulders. Rafael couldn’t hate him any more than he already did, that much Sonny knew, so what did he have to lose? Maybe a little dignity, but he was past caring about that.

Sonny took a pair of tweezers so he could dunk one of the little noses fully in glitter for the black bears he was making next. He was also going to add velvet bowties to these ones, he decided. He matched the tie to the bear’s green little eyes and smiled at its sparkly nose. 

By the time the elf had hit his quota for the day, he looked up and noticed that Rafael was nowhere to be seen. Running up the stairs to the office level, he peeked around the corner at the door that read Rafael’s name in gold, and made a decision.

He turned on his heels and marched towards the kitchen. Sonny grabbed a couple gingerbread cookies, a few candy canes and a cup of hot cocoa with an added dash of cinnamon. He dunk one of the candy canes inside the cup and twirled it around until it was partially melted, then let it settle by the handle.

Sonny sang a Christmas tune to himself as he walked back to Rafael’s door, hoping the lively music would keep him from running away again. He needed every boost of courage he could get.

He knocked, sucked in a deep breath, then released it when Rafael’s voice traveled through and told him to come in.

Rafael looked up from his desk when Sonny walked in, and the surprise on his face was very clear. His eyebrows went up then down as he frowned, and when Sonny walked up to him and set the plate and the mug in front of him, Rafael simply stared at it without blinking.

Sonny cleared his throat. “Hey,” he said softly. “I was wondering if we could talk.”

“We never have,” Rafael said, glaring at him. “Why start now?”

“Because it’s Christmas,” he said lamely, biting into his lower lip.

“So did Christmas last year just not happen, then? Gee, you might want to let Nick know that we sent out all those toys for nothing.”

Sonny swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” he ducked his head. “I think we started on the wrong foot and your first impression of me was probably the worst, so I wanted to make it right.”

“I don’t believe that’s possible,” Rafael said curtly, then looked back down at the papers in front of him. “Have a good day.”

“Come on, Rafael. I know you felt it, too,” Sonny said, and Rafael’s head snapped up again.

“Felt  _ what _ ?,” he barked. 

“The bond,” Sonny smiled. 

Rafael’s eyes widened. “You--,” he gaped. “What?”

“You know,” he could feel his cheeks heating up. “The elf bond. I felt it the minute I saw you and I know my reaction was weird, but it was a shock to me. I never even considered that my mate would be male, and you looked so good, so confident and smart, I got a little tongue-tied. I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t,” Rafael said slowly. “I didn’t feel anything.”

Sonny stumbled back, falling into a chair. “So you didn’t--,” he blinked rapidly. “You didn’t reject me, then.”

Rafael shook his head. “I thought you’d heard about me,” he said. “I thought you knew why I had to transfer. I thought you hated me for it, and that’s why you didn’t care to speak to me.”

“Oh, holy Saint Nick,” Sonny ran both hands over his face. “I heard about your transfer, but only weeks after you arrived here. I never-- I don’t think you did anything wrong. You were trying to help that human.”

“You wouldn’t even look at me,” Rafael said in a tone so small it gutted him.

“Not because of that,” he said urgently. “But because you’re-- you rejected me. At least I thought you did and it hurt like hell to even be in the same room as you.”

“Sonny,” Rafael breathed out, standing up and rounding the desk. He kneeled in front of Sonny, taking his hands in his, and even through his white gloves Sonny could feel the heat coming off of him. It was beautiful. 

“I didn’t reject you. I had no idea, I--,” he started to say, hands going up Sonny’s arms, but when his fingers touched skin he choked, the air rushing out of him all at once.

Sonny saw his eyes sparkle gold, and the shocked expression on his face could only mean one thing. Rafael had felt it, now.

“The bond,” Sonny said softly, smiling. 

Rafael nodded. “I guess we do actually have a lot to talk about,” he said. “And I should start by saying I’m sorry.”

Sonny quickly removed his gloves and took Rafael’s hands in his. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said. “It was a misunderstanding.” 

“I’m so prideful,” he said mournfully. “I took a blow to the ego and let it define my life for this long when we could have--,” Rafael shook his head. “I don’t know why they keep me around, elves aren’t supposed to have big egos.”

Sonny couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe not egos, but feelings? Very much so, and I know my reaction hurt your feelings. I’m sorry about that.”

“We’ll have to make up for it,” Rafael said, standing up. He kept his hold on Sonny’s hands, pulling him up. “How about we go down to the village for some dinner?”

“I’d love to,” he stood up. “But before we do, I have to tell you something. For full transparency.”

“What?”

“I got offered a position as Sergeant,” he said, and frowned lightly when Rafael dropped his hands. “Starting next week.”

Rafael’s face hardened. “The relationship clause, we can’t--”

“I talked to Nick, Head Elf Nick, not Santa Claus Nick,” Sonny explained, reaching for Rafael again. “And he said as long as we’re official before the spot opens, there’s no problem because the clause won’t be in effect yet.”

Sonny held his breath as Rafael squeezed his hands and dropped it again, but then he reached for Sonny’s face and pulled up on his tip-toes to kiss him. Sonny helped him keep his balance by holding him around the waist, letting Rafael lean his weight onto him, and sighed happily into the kiss.

It was a soft and tender press of lips, then another, and Rafael sucked lightly on his bottom lip before pulling away with a smile. He tasted so sweet, and Sonny followed his mouth without thinking. 

“Does that make it official?,” Rafael asked in a whisper.

Sonny beamed. “I think it does, but we need to be certain,” he said teasingly, then tightened his hold around Rafael’s waist and spun him around, helping him sit on the edge of the desk before he kissed him again, deeper this time.

It felt like magic, a current that spread through him, to Rafael and back, pulling them in closer. Sonny could feel Rafael’s heartbeat against his chest, alongside his own thundering heart.

They kissed and kissed until their lips went numb, raw and puffy, and parted with matching dazed looks and smiles so wide it made their eyes crinkle around the edges. 

“We should tell Nick,” Sonny panted. He’d sign every single paper under the North Pole sky if it meant nothing could get in their way. 

“We’ll do it tomorrow. Together,” Rafael said, running his hand through Sonny’s hair one more time. Only then did he notice that his pointy hat had fallen. “I’d like to have dinner with you tonight.”

“I’d like that, too,” he stepped back, still smiling, and offered Rafael a hand for him to jump off the desk. “How about Mrs. Claus’ Panettone diner?”

“My favorite,” Rafael said, picking up Sonny’s hat and putting it back on his head. “Merry Christmas, Sonny.”

He beamed. “Merry Christmas, Rafael.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so there's my elf-soulmates fic? I liked the idea of Sonny and Rafael making toys ngl let me know what you think!!


End file.
